2015 AUDI S4 warning

252 Tires and wheels
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving condi­
tions.
.&_ WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatch­ ed tires and/ or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the
specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and
then with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous
histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
-All four wheels must be fit­ ted with radial tires of the
same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same
tread pattern. Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to
a loss of control.
-If the spare tire is not the
same as the tires that are
mounted on the vehicle -for
example with winter tires -
only use the spare tire for a
short period of time and
drive with extra care. Refit
the normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
-Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which
the tires on your vehicle are
rated because tires that are
driven faster than their rat­
ed speed can fail suddenly.
-Overloading tires cause heat build-up, sudden tire fail ­
ure, including a blowout
..

254 Tires and wheels
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispo se of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­
ments.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- T raction AA A B C
- T empera ture ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wa ll between tread shou lder
and max imum sect ion width
¢ page 248,
fig. 193.
For example: Tread wear 200, Tract ion AA ,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relat ive performance of t ires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var iations in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled cond it ions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
trac tion performance ¢&,. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
¢ &,..
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es ­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive load ing, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires -
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires .
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true winter or "snow" tir es, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle. .,.

"" N
0 ::.,: co ...... \!) 1.1'1
...... 1.1'1 ......
Your vehicle is equipped with all whee l drive,
this will improve traction during winter driv­ ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip a ll
four wheels on your veh icle w ith correctly fit­
ted wi nte r tires or all -season tires, when w in ­
ter road conditions are expected. This also im­
p roves the vehicle 's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
W inter tire s (snow t ires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized Audi dea ler o r qualified
workshop for permitted
w inter t ire sizes. Use
only radia l winter tires .
Winte r ti res lose thei r effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
On ly drive with winter tires under winter con­
d itions. Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 °().
If yo u have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel ¢ page 248 .
Pl ease always remembe r th at w inte r ti res may
have a lower speed rating tha n the t ires origi­
n all y ins talled on your veh icle at the t ime i t
was manufactured . Please see ¢ page 250,
Speed roting (letter code) for a Listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ich the t ires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 232) is
on the side wall of the tire ¢ page 248.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed befo re driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tir es . This will cause damage to the
ti res leading to an ac cident and se rious
pe rsonal i njury to you and yo ur p assen­
gers .
Tire s an d wheel s 255
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your ve hicle
were designed can cause t ire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
l oss of cont ro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sona l injuries. Have wo rn or damaged ti res
replaced immedia tely.
- Wi nte r tires h ave maxim um speed ra ting
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle 's
maxim um speed.
- Never d rive fas ter than the speed for
whi ch the w inter or othe r ti res installed
on yo ur vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
=
A lways ad just yo ur driving to t he roa d and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and a ll wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all wheel drive vehicle handles in the same way as a front drive
veh icle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even w inter t ires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
-
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the fro nt
whee ls, and on ly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i dea le r o n whi ch tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and must not be th icker than
0 .53 inch
(13 . 5 mm) , in cl ud ing t he lo ck.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your veh icle
¢ 0 . For safety reasons cover caps must then ..,.
•
•

256 Tires and wheels
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are
available from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily .
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
corr ect torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secu rely and that the b rake system functions
correctly . In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model ¢
page 285.
A WARNING "--
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in ­
jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
Q) Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts
diagonally . After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi ­
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel ..,.

258 Tires and wheels
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure tell­
tale illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inf late
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a sig­ nificantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-in­
flation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle's han­
dling and stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­
er's responsib ility to ma inta in correct tire
pressu re, even if under- inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale . When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the te lltale will
f lash for approximately one minute and then
remain cont inuous ly illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, includ ing the installat ion of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
p rop erly. Always check the TPM S malf unct ion
tellta le after replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re­ p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly. Tire pressure indicator appears
App lies to vehicles : wi th tire p ress ure mo nito rin g system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction .
Fig. 194 Display: u nde rinfla tion warning
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividua l tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more t ires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a
RI] war ning symbol and a
message¢
fig . 194 . The driver message in the
display goes out afte r 5 seconds . The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
ISETI button. If o nly one tire is affec ted,
the display will ind icate its position.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via rad io or MMI* each time the pres­
sures are adjusted (e.g. when switching be­
tween partial and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a tire on your ve hicle
¢
page 259. The TPMS indicator only moni ­
tors the tire pressure that you have previous ly
stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv­
er's side 8-pillar ¢
page 234.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tir e has structural damage,
- the tir e pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or rep laced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 259, ..,_

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-the spa re tire* /inflatable spare tire* is
mounted.
Warning symbols
[IJ Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢,&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if necessa ry. The indicator light
[IJ in the instru ­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and resetTPMS via radio or MMI*.
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Ti re
pre ssure: S ystem m alfuncti on!.
1tE appea rs after sw itching the ign it ion on
or while d rivi ng and the ind icator light
[IJ in
the instrument cluster blinks for approxi­ mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction. Attempt to store the
correct t ire pressure ¢
page 259. If the indi­
cator light does not turn off or if it turns on
shortly thereafter, immediately drive your ve­
h icle to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized repair facility to have the malfunction
corrected.
.&, WARNING
- If the t ire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cl uster d isplay, one or
more o f your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle 's t ire
pressure label~
page 234 . Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire ca uses
the tire to overhea t and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to impair the vehicle 's handling and stop ­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for mainta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor ­
ty driving style, winter conditions or un­ paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be de layed .
Tire s an d wheel s 259
-Ask your a uthorized Audi dea ler if run­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure mon itoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC ma l­
function.
- Using snow chains may res ult in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tire pressure mon itor ing system on
your Audi was deve loped using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire s idewall
~ page 248. We recom­
mend us ing these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure mon itor ing system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels ore ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
radio or MMI*.
... Before storing the new tire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four tires
correspond to the specified va lues and
adapt the pressures to the current load
¢ page 234.
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the
I CARI funct io n button > Tir e pre s­
s ure mon itoring
> Store now . Or
.,. Select: the
I CARI fu nct ion button > Car sy s­
tem s*
contro l button > S erv icing & che cks >
Tire pres sure mon itor in g > Store tire pre s­
s ures
> Yes, sto re now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire . Otherwise, a sys­
tem mal function may occur.
•
•

260 What do I do now ?
What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor
panel in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 195 Seda n Lu ggage compart ment : too l kit
Fig. 196 a llroa d Lu ggage compart men t: too l kit
When you need access to the vehicle tool kit
or jack* , you will need to take out the spare
tire and cover
Q page 260 .
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
tool kit may also be located under the cargo
floor cover @
Q fig. 196 behind the seat back­
rest .
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers *
- Alignment pin for changing the wheel
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- T ool for changing light bulbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for chang- ing light b ulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye Some of the vehicle items listed above are
provided on certain mode
ls only or are option­
al extras.
Before ret urning the jack * to its p lace, re trac t
the jack arm f ully.
A WARNING
-
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bo lts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tightening tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an acc ident .
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. U nder no c ir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy veh icles o r othe r loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself .
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro ­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potentia l risk for injury.
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
Appl ies to veh icles : w ith space -sav ing spare tire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for shor t-term u se only.
F ig. 197 Spa re ti re
Removing the spar e ti re
., lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
Q fig. 197 .
., Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment wea ther strip.

M N
~ co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
.. Turn the large screw q fig . 197 counter ­
clockwise.
.. Take out the spare tire.
.. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack *,
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c:> page 132.
.. Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the
rear lid .
Using the spa re tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is only intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop.
Replace it as quickly as possible with a stand­
ard wheel and t ire .
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare t ire . The compact spare t ire
has been des igned specifically for your type of
veh icle.
It must not be swapped with a com­
pact spare tire from another type of veh icle.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not p erm itted .
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l w ith
tire instead of a rear tire. Install the snow
chains on the rear t ire and use it to replace
the defective front tire.
.,&. WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dica to rs.
- If the spare tire is mo re tha n 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emerge ncy and w it h ex­
tr eme cau tion a nd careful d riving .
- T he spare tire is intended only fo r tem­
porary and sho rt-term use.
It should be
rep laced as soon as possib le w ith the
normal wheel and t ire.
- After mount ing the compac t spare ti re,
the tire pressu re must be che cked as
soon as possible . The tire pressure of the
compact spa re tire m ust be 4 .2 bar; oth­
erwise, you risk hav ing an accident.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h) . You risk having an accident.
What do I d o now ? 261
-Avoid full-thrott le acceleration, heavy
brak ing, and fast cornering. You risk hav­
ing an accident .
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an acci­
dent .
- Normal summer or winter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare w heel
rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spa re tire is not permitted .
If it is necessary to drive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
fro nt axle in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The newly available fron t wheel
m ust then be inst alled in place of the
rea r whee l w ith the flat tire. Installing
the tire chain before mounting the whee l
a nd tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart ­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard brak ing or in an accident.
Never store the spare tire or jack and
too ls in the passenger compartment.
Inflatable spare tire
App lies to vehicles: wi th inflatable spa re tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full di­
ameter when it is inflated .
Fig. 19 8 I nflatable spare tir e w it h compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
.. Lift up the cargo floo r us ing the handle .
.. Tur n the large screw ¢
fig. 198 counte r-
clockw ise.
.. Take out the in fla table spare tire.